Estornudar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
estornudar means "to sneeze" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows estornudar in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of estornudar, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.
Example sentences with estornudar
Everyday use
Estornudar means to sneeze. The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.
- Yo estornudo tres veces — "I sneeze three times"
- En primavera, él estornuda — "In spring, he sneezes"
- Yo estornudé por el polvo — "I sneezed because of the dust"
- Yo estornudaba tres veces — "I used to sneeze three times"
- En primavera, yo estornudaré — "In spring, I will sneeze"
- Yo he estornudado por el polvo — "I have sneezed because of the dust"
In the past and the future
The same verb in the past and the future: the form changes, but the meaning stays the same.
- Él estornudó por el polvo — "He sneezed because of the dust"
- Él estornudaba tres veces — "He used to sneeze three times"
- En primavera, tú estornudarás — "In spring, you will sneeze"
- Yo estornudaría por el polvo — "I would sneeze because of the dust"
- Yo había estornudado tres veces — "I had sneezed three times"
- En primavera, nosotros estornudamos — "In spring, we sneeze"
Estornudar in conversation
The two dialogues below show estornudar in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú estornudas tres veces? — "Do you sneeze three times?"
- Sí, yo estornudo tres veces cada día. — "Yes, I sneeze three times every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿En primavera, tú estornudaste? — "And yesterday? Did you sneeze in spring?"
- Sí, en primavera, yo estornudé. — "Yes, In spring, I sneezed."
- Mañana, yo estornudaré por el polvo también. — "Tomorrow, I will sneeze because of the dust too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros estornudáis tres veces? — "Do you sneeze three times?"
- Sí, nosotros estornudamos tres veces los fines de semana. — "Yes, We sneeze three times at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿En primavera, ellos estornudan? — "And them? Do they sneeze in spring?"
- Sí, en primavera, ellos estornudan también. — "Yes, In spring, they sneeze too."
- Mañana en primavera, nosotros estornudaremos otra vez. — "Tomorrow in spring, we will sneeze again."
Useful phrases with estornudar
Four patterns you can use with estornudar in any conversation. The infinitive stays the same; only the first verb changes.
- Voy a estornudar tres veces. — "I am going to sneeze three times."
- Quiero estornudar en primavera. — "I want to sneeze in spring."
- Me gusta estornudar por el polvo. — "I like to sneeze because of the dust."
- Acabo de estornudar tres veces. — "I have just sneezed three times."
Common mistakes with estornudar in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Ellos estornuda tres veces.
- Right: Ellos estornudan tres veces.
- Why: Ellos needs the ellos form estornudan. The singular estornuda belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Todos los días, yo estornudé.
- Right: Todos los días, yo estornudo.
- Why: Todos los días means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Yo soy estornudado en primavera.
- Right: Yo he estornudado en primavera.
- Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he estornudado, has estornudado, ha estornudado.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Ayer, yo estornudo.
- Right: Ayer, yo estornudé.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (estornudé). The present (estornudo) is for habits and for now.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Espero que él estornuda tres veces.
- Right: Espero que él estornude tres veces.
- Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: estornude. The indicative form would be wrong here.
Quiz: estornudar in use
Ten questions on estornudar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the I form of estornudar in the present tense?
- (a) estornudo
- (b) estornudarían
- (c) estornudéis
- (d) ha estornudado
Answer: (a) estornudo. The I form in the present is estornudo.
2. What is the he / she form of estornudar in the present tense?
- (a) había estornudado
- (b) estornudaron
- (c) estornudarais
- (d) estornuda
Answer: (d) estornuda. The he / she form in the present is estornuda.
3. What is the he / she form of estornudar in the preterite tense?
- (a) estornudaré
- (b) habríais estornudado
- (c) habían estornudado
- (d) estornudó
Answer: (d) estornudó. The he / she form in the preterite is estornudó.
4. What is the I form of estornudar in the imperfect tense?
- (a) estornudaba
- (b) estornudó
- (c) estornuda
- (d) han estornudado
Answer: (a) estornudaba. The I form in the imperfect is estornudaba.
5. What is the I form of estornudar in the future tense?
- (a) habrían estornudado
- (b) estornudaría
- (c) estornudaré
- (d) estornudáramos
Answer: (c) estornudaré. The I form in the future is estornudaré.
6. What is the I form of estornudar in the present perfect tense?
- (a) habías estornudado
- (b) he estornudado
- (c) habrá estornudado
- (d) estornudaran
Answer: (b) he estornudado. The I form in the present perfect is he estornudado.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ tres veces.
- (a) estornude
- (b) estornudéis
- (c) estornuden
- (d) estornudemos
Answer: (a) estornude. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is estornude.
8. What is the we form of estornudar in the present tense?
- (a) hemos estornudado
- (b) habría estornudado
- (c) estornudamos
- (d) estornudad
Answer: (c) estornudamos. The we form in the present is estornudamos.
9. What is the I form of estornudar in the preterite tense?
- (a) han estornudado
- (b) estornudé
- (c) estornuden
- (d) estornudaba
Answer: (b) estornudé. The I form in the preterite is estornudé.
10. What is the they form of estornudar in the present tense?
- (a) habré estornudado
- (b) estornudo
- (c) estornudan
- (d) estornudáis
Answer: (c) estornudan. The they form in the present is estornudan.
Frequently asked questions about estornudar
Is estornudar regular?
Yes. Estornudar is a regular -ar verb: estornudo, estornudas, estornuda. See the full conjugation of estornudar for every tense.
What is the past participle of estornudar?
The past participle is estornudado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he estornudado. The gerund is estornudando, used with estar: estoy estornudando.
How do I say “I sneeze” in the past?
For one finished action, use the preterite: En primavera, yo estornudé. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo estornudaba por el polvo.
How can I practise estornudar?
Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.